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Best woodworking books

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What to look for

Look for project plans that match the tools you have.

Models worth comparing

From publishers' details and published UK reviews, read on 6 October 2026. Not read cover to cover by us. In no particular order: these are not ranked, and we do not say which is best until the customer ratings are in.

Beginner

Woodworking: The Complete Step-by-Step Manual (DK)

Newcomers who want to learn tools, joints and finishes and then build real projects from clear photographs.

  • Produced with input from the Building Crafts College, founded by the Worshipful Company of Carpenters
  • Profiles more than 100 hardwoods and softwoods
  • Over 25 projects with plans, from a chopping board to a garden bench

Watch out for: Written by a team of contributors, so it reads as a reference to dip into rather than one teacher's course.

Author
DK, with multiple contributors
Publisher
DK
Edition
New edition, hardback, 2024
Pages
400

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Sources: DK book page · Waterstones

Intermediate

Ultimate Woodwork Bible (Phil Davy and Ben Plewes)

Improvers who want a handy paperback reference for joints, tool use and finishing to keep by the bench.

  • Covers choosing tools through to joints and finishing
  • Techniques are shown with step-by-step instructions and diagrams
  • Paperback format is lighter than the big hardback manuals

Watch out for: This edition dates from 2017, so some tools and products shown may now look dated.

Author
Phil Davy and Ben Plewes
Publisher
HarperCollins (Pavilion imprint)
Edition
Paperback, 2017
Pages
288

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Sources: HarperCollins book page · Waterstones

Advanced

Collins Complete Woodworker's Manual (Albert Jackson and David Day)

Keen woodworkers who want an in-depth reference on design, joints and specialist crafts as their skills grow.

  • Revised 2022 edition, extensively rewritten with new photos and illustrations
  • Covers bending, veneering and marquetry, carving and finishing
  • Goes into workshop set-up, furniture design and combining wood with metal, glass and leather

Watch out for: Built around techniques rather than project plans, so beginners after a first build may prefer the DK book.

Author
Albert Jackson and David Day
Publisher
Collins (HarperCollins)
Edition
Revised edition, hardback, 2022
Pages
352

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Sources: HarperCollins book page · Waterstones

Beginner

Spon: A Guide to Spoon Carving and the New Wood Culture (Barn The Spoon)

Anyone drawn to green woodworking who wants to start with an axe, a knife and a simple, satisfying project.

  • By the London spoon carver Barn The Spoon, co-organiser of Spoonfest
  • Sixteen spoon designs across eating, serving, cooking and measuring spoons
  • Explains axe and knife handling, sharpening and working with grain

Watch out for: Narrow in scope: spoon carving only, with nothing on joinery, power tools or furniture.

Author
Barn The Spoon (Barnaby Carder)
Publisher
Virgin Books (Penguin Random House)
Edition
Hardback, 2017
Pages
224

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Sources: Penguin book page · Waterstones

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